Studies in Blue and Green: The Hudson River Park, South of Houston, Morning

For our morning walk, my dog forcefully pulled me toward the new Tribeca section of the Hudson River Park, as if she really needed me to check it out.

along the Hudson River Park, looking south. Sometimes, but especially in the summertime, it feels like the old core of the city fades to the background, while the edges near the shoreline present new chances for exploration.

On our semi-regular walks, we usually wander toward the pier in the Greenwich Village section near Christopher Street, so I hadn't realized that this stretch of the park to the south was open for our recreational pleasure.

This newly renovated section sports some nice features —

a well-landscaped nature boardwalk,

different types of grasses are planted in the nature boardwalk. So many parks and waterfront areas are being developed, not just sections of the Hudson River Park, but the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, the East River, Governors Island, and more.

an installation of sculptures titled "Serpentine Structures" by artist Marc Gibian,

artwork and landscaping help lend interest to the park. The new New York is characterized in part by development of green spaces and waterfront throughout the boroughs.

 a raised seating area with chairs and tables,

Everyone has to sit down at some point. City planning has embraced the concept that one key to a successful urban space is movable chairs.

a "pile field" popular with at least one bird,

Pile fields, the remaining wooden structures that once supported a removed pier, are left in place to help provide habitat for fish and other river organisms. One little white bird is perched here, joined by sculptures of birds. This morning, it was hard not to think about this little bird and the horrific scenes of birds covered in oil in the Gulf.

a minimalist standing pier with many benches,

Holland Tunnel Ventilation Building

and a couple of sets of sleek devices for viewing boats and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

These are well-designed, meant to be used by people of different heights. Another set is on the pier. These telescopic devices are a symbol of ancient longing, as we cast our eyes outward to the seas. Herman Melville, in Moby Dick, describes the city "water-gazers" who are "fixed in ocean reveries."

This new section of the Hudson River Park is squeaky clean and tidy, and with the fresh and clear morning air, I thought for a few moments that I was in another place.

The boulders are even placed in a tidy and artful way.

As this was an unplanned adventure, I had only my phone with me for picture-taking. The images came out in highly saturated hues of blues and greens, the result of my choice of settings on the wacky camera app. The color of the water, the clear sky and the newly planted grasses along the boardwalk did lend an overall cool wash to the scene, although I remember the colors to be somewhat less intense than what is pictured here.

New Jersey is so blue.

Across the river, Jersey City shimmered like a tropical city. I thought for a moment that New York could be a new Miami. When folks retire, after toiling for years in their skyscrapers down south, I thought, they would enjoy moving up here to a life of leisure on the Hudson. Climate change and all that - it could happen.

Directions: Wander over to Hudson River Park via W. Houston Street and walk south until you have to stop. Bring water.

Images from June 4, 2010 by Walking Off the Big Apple. Clicking on the images will make them big and green and blue.